Stars on show – Elite athletes entered for today’s MVP meet
Several elite athletes are entered for the Maximising Velocity and Power (MVP) track and field meet dubbed an ‘Evening of Athletics’at the National Stadium today starting at 5:00 pm.
The preliminary start list includes the second-fastest man ever over both the 100m and 200m in Yohan Blake of Racers Track Club, national men’s 400m record holder Rusheen McDonald, and Shericka Jackson, the World Championships 400m bronze medallist — both of MVP — along with Sprintec’s Rasheed Dwyer, the 2014 Commonwealth Games 200m champion.
Bruce James, president of MVP Track Club, said the three-hour meet is geared towards providing the ideal situation for the athletes to record good times.
“The purpose is creating a perfect situation for athletes to get the best wind condition. It’s literally set up for athletes to run fast,” said James.
The club, which was founded in September 1999 at Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Kingston by co-founders James; Stephen Francis, vice-president and technical director; his brother, Paul Francis, treasurer and assistant head coach and David Noel, secretary.
MVP is without a doubt Jamaica’s most successful club in terms of the number of Olympic and World Championships medallists that it produces in Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Melaine Walker, Kaliese Spencer, Michael Frater, Nesta Carter, Shericka Jackson, O’Dayne Richards, Sherone Simpson, Shericka Williams, Stephenie McPherson, Chrisitne Day and Natasha Morrison, just to name a few.
True to their mantra, maximising opportunities for athletes’ success at all levels of the game through grass roots programmes, sponsorships and promotions, this MVP meet will provide athletes with 12 events — the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 4x100m, 4x400m, 4x800m, discus and long jump.
The 4×100 relays and the men’s long jump will officially start proceedings at 5:00 pm before the running of the 800m and 400m hurdles. The 100-metre races are scheduled to begin at 7:25 pm with the 4x400m relays concluding the meet at 8:00 pm. Entrance fee is $500.
— Howard Walker
